The miniaturization of microelectronics and logics, at current technology, is approaching its practical and theoretical limits. Various design and operational considerations such as heat removal, heterogeneity, connectivity as well as present photolitographic techniques restrict the practical size of minimal feature in present, semiconductor-based electronic components to about 0.25-0.3 μm. It is clear that further miniaturization of electronic components must involve new approaches and concepts for the fabrication of the electronic components and logic circuits.
Nanometer scale electronics needs to consider two fundamental issues: operating principles of the corresponding electronic components and schemes to fabricate such components and their integration into useful circuits.
A number of operation principles have been suggested based on charging effects(1-6) which become increasingly prominent as the device dimensions diminish. The construction of nanoscale circuits cannot be implemented by existing microelectronics technology. In particular, inter element wiring and electrical interfacing to the macroscopic world become increasingly problematic. Molecular recognition processes and self-assembly of molecules into supramolecular assemblies may be used for the construction of complex structure(5). However, integrating electronic materials with these structures, or providing them with electronic functionality, has not yet been attained.
Nucleic acids possess self-assembly properties which can be used to form networks of nucleic acid fibers(27-30). DNA has already been employed as an organizer of nano structures in the assembly of colloidal particles into macroscopic crystal-like aggregates(14.15) and in dictating the shape of semiconductor nano particle assemblies(16,17).